


A Kiss at Midnight

by strawberrydaifuku



Category: Midnight Cinderella (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-08-21 10:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16574762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrydaifuku/pseuds/strawberrydaifuku
Summary: Sid meets a woman of unknown origins―or so he thinks...





	1. [Prologue] A Beginning of Something Wonderful

**━━━━━━━♔━━━━━━━**

**Prologue**

**━━━━━━━♔━━━━━━━**

The moon was full and the stars twinkled in the sky. As the carriage went on, the steady sound of hooves against gravel echoed through the night. After years of journey from one country to another to learn more about the world, she was back to her homeland, Wysteria.

It had been a week ago at Stein when she received a letter from her father. He asked her to come home for a number of reasons, which first and foremost, was that he terribly missed her. That part of the letter made her smile in affection.

Her father told her about the King’s ill state which led to the coronation of the new Princess Elect some time ago. It was a pleasant surprise to find, attached to her father’s correspondence, a royal invitation for a literary salon hosted by the new Princess of Wysteria.

Aside from those, her father had also hinted that he wanted her to meet a certain someone. Despite her hope that it was not, she knew it would be a marriage meeting of some sort with an eligible bachelor – or if she was unlucky enough – bachelors. She made excuses to put it off for a while now and knew her father must be anxious.

With a sigh, she tapped the roof of the carriage as a signal for a stop. After her alightment, she instructed the coachman to rest for a while as she wanted to walk around the streets of Wysteria.

“I won’t go far. I’ll be back when the clock strikes twelve,” she informed him.

The coachman gave a dutiful nod. “Be careful, my lady.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Wysteria, for her, was home. Despite that, she could not help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity as she passed by the streets she once knew, but now barely recognized.

 _Maybe things would change soon,_ she thought. After all, she was back and it would be for good this time.

She enjoyed the light breeze until she reached the part of town which became more alive as the night deepened. The sound of dishes and utensils were audible from here and there. She caught hushed bits and pieces of conversations from where she stood. The lights from the inside of the establishments illuminated the roadside and a certain one caught her eye, _La Taverne_.

“How original,” she commented to no one in particular.

Nevertheless, she decided to go in for a drink or two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **10 November 2018**  
>  The first draft of this work was posted. Beta read by [ReverberatingEchoes](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ReverberatingEchoes/pseuds/ReverberatingEchoes).
> 
>  **06 January 2019**  
>  This work went under major revision.


	2. A Kiss at Midnight

Sid was at his usual table. He drank as he always did and thought about faster ways to obtain information when murmur arose from a nearby table. It seemed that their subject of interest was on the direction of the entrance. Curious, he turned and saw the woman who entered the tavern as she walked straight to the bar.

He kept his eyes trained on her in quiet observation. For one, there was something that set her apart from the others who frequented the place. She was dressed quite well for such a setting. Too well.

Second, she carried herself with the elegance and grace he only saw from those ladies present in all those functions and parties his father made him attend. Not as Sid but as Lloyd.

And third, she was _hot_.

But as expected, Sid was not the only one who noticed that.

 

As soon as she settled on the wooden stool and opened her mouth to order, she was interrupted by a voice on her side.

“Hello, Miss. Is this seat empty?” an assertive man said and gestured to the unoccupied seat right beside her.

 _Really. It hasn't even been a minute_ , she thought dryly. “Yes, and this one will be if you sit down,” she dared.

“Oh, I… Um ‒ okay… I just… thought ‒ okay...” the man mumbled, dejected.

She did not spare the stranger a glance as he walked away. Satisfied, “A beer, please,” she addressed the barman and placed a few notes on the counter.

 

Sid’s eyebrows shot up at what he had witnessed. She handled the man’s advances in such a confident manner. She didn’t even squirm! Even more, she seemed to him as a champagne, wine, or maybe even rosé type of girl. She seemed too fancy for a casual beer that it shocked him.

As he pondered over his thoughts, another man, who he recognized was another regular in the tavern, strode towards the direction of the woman.

 _Here goes another brave soul_ , Sid thought and smiled in anticipation.

 

She tried to discern the text written on the rainbow of labels that adorned the liquor bottles when someone began to push the barstool next to her aside. The man leaned an elbow on the counter in a casual stance. She could not help but frown in distaste.

“I saw what you did to my buddy there, Miss. Hmm… You don’t seem like the shy type. I like that,” the man said. “So, I would completely understand.”

She turned to him, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. “Excuse me? Understand what?”

He gestured with his hand, “Well, go on then, you can ask me out.”

From a distance, she heard a scoff.

Her eyes narrowed as she gave the flirtatious man a sweet smile. “Aww… Okay then,” she agreed.

The man grinned in triumph for a second until she deadpanned, “Get out,” and turned away from him with complete disinterest.

“What? Wait! No! That’s not what I meant!” he protested. However, the only response he received was an exasperated sigh and a wave of a gloved hand as she dismissed him.

 

Sid let out a silent chuckle at that. He hadn’t expected the woman to be so entertaining. Not only that, he thought that someone like her must have some valuable information he could get.

 

“Good riddance,” she muttered and took a sip of her beer as the irritating man left. She exhaled and reveled in the taste and slight burn of the alcohol on her throat.

“Ah, that’s a good beer,” she commented, impressed.

With that, she drank in peace. Until halfway through her glass…

“Miss, I think you’re the best-looking girl here.”

 _It just never ends, does it? To think that all I wanted was a peaceful time with my good friend, alcohol,_ She rolled her eyes and complained in silence.

“Really? Well, I’d better find the best-looking guy here then,” she retorted in sarcasm and descended from the barstool, not with the intention to find the 'best-looking guy’ in the tavern, but to down the rest of her drink and leave the place.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but someone beat him to it.

“Well, you’re in luck ‘cuz he’s right here,” a gruff voice said.

“Aww… Sid, man!” With a look from Sid, the man slumped his shoulders in defeat.

As she watched the man scamper away with a grumble under his breath, her glass was taken from her hand.

“Hey! That’s mine! Where are you taking my drink?” She turned around and tried to get her glass back, only to be greeted by the sight of the stranger's back as he signalled for the barman.

She caught the faint scent of his fragrance as she stood there behind him, all the while confused and irritated. He was quite tall, his frame masculine. Her stature barely came up to his broad shoulders. His hair was raven, and with an eye for detail, she spotted the blue streaks in it and found them to be rather unique. The fine navy blue ‒ well, almost black ‒ coat he wore was stylish, and she hoped that the fur on it was faux.

“What’s it for tonight, Sid?” the barman asked.

“Another round of the usual.” There was a quick pause before he added, “And another for the lady.” He raised the half-filled glass and gave it a slight shake. She watched, transfixed, as the motion made the amber liquid circle the sides of the glass.

She shook her head and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Let’s go.” He took a gentle hold of her wrist with his free hand and guided her to a secluded table she had not noticed was there earlier. After a while, his warm hand left her skin as he placed the glass on the table.

She tried to comprehend what the man's intentions were, but what startled her the most was that he went on to pull out the wooden chair beside her. Like a perfect gentleman.

“Sit down,” he urged.

She could have ran away and left like she had planned a minute ago. But, she didn’t.

She relented and sat down. With suspicion, her eyes followed the mysterious man as he took a seat across the table.

“Best-looking guy, huh?” she started, her voice monotonous.

Sid gave a mischievous smile. “C’mon, you gotta admit I look good.”

She narrowed her eyes in response. That he did. But she would _never_ admit that since she felt that he’d only be all smug about it.

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the barmaid who placed more alcohol on the table. Sid raised his glass and cocked an eyebrow at her. She decided to humor him and clinked their glasses together.

“Cheers,” she muttered and took a sip of her drink.

“So, what’s a _little lady_ like you doing in a place like this?” Sid folded his hands and set them on the table.

Her index finger traced the rim of the glass as her gaze locked with his in a challenging stare. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” she answered and laughed.

 

Sid was unsatisfied with how nonchalant she was. Her response had neither confirmed nor denied her status as a noble. He was about to say something when another interruption, this time unexpected and unwelcome, arrived at their table.

It was a merchant he exchanged information with on a regular basis. He dealt with a lot of them in his line of work. After all, merchants heard a great deal from their customers.

“Hey, Sid. I have some information for you,” the merchant addressed him and gave the seat across his a glance. “Oops. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company,” he added, not apologetic in any sense.

No one bothered to go or even look at the secluded table Sid occupied when he did his business. Since he was familiar with the merchant, Sid knew he went there because wanted to have a closer look at the lady.

The merchant did not give Sid a chance to respond, “I’ll talk to you later.” He gave the woman a brief stare. “Or maybe tomorrow.”

 

When the merchant left, she looked at Sid and stated, “You’re an information dealer.”

“How observant of you,” he replied and took a sip of his drink.

“So… Did you bring me here because you wanted information?”

“Maybe.” In truth, Sid was not sure either.

“Hmm…” She wondered if he had figured out her identity or if he was aware that she was a person who sojourned in different countries. Of course, with what she saw and heard, she held a lot of information in her hands, including rumors from reliable sources that might be useful to him.

For instance, she heard that the Stein bureaucrats persuaded King Byron to court the new Princess of Wysteria. There was also an unsettling rumor that King of Protea planned to propose marriage to the Princess even though he was twice her age. Another notable one was that Laurelia’s nobles had gotten wind of the identity of the prospective Prince Consort and waited for the announcement.

“How about we play a game?” Her thoughts were interrupted by his sudden proposition. Sid took a deck of cards from his coat pocket.

“With information as the prize?” she clarified and drank more alcohol. She did not bother to question why he brought around a deck of cards or if he asked people to play games with him in exchange for relevant information out of habit.

He nodded in affirmation. “Yeah, whoever wins gets to ask a question. How about it?”

Where was the harm in that? “Fine,” she agreed even though she had no idea why she should bother. He was intriguing.

“What can you play?”

“Just poker,” she admitted.

 

He smirked. Unbeknownst to her, he was excellent at poker. It seemed tonight, Sid played his cards right as he won the first round. With a flush, nonetheless.

“I won,” he stated in pride.

“What? How can someone get a flush on the first round?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at the cards in disbelief.

Sid chuckled at that. Her animated reactions kept him amused.

She tapped the edges of her cards against the table in a rhythm. “What is your question, then?” she asked in irony, curious about the information he was after.

“You are a noble. Yes or no?” For his first question, Sid played it safe and decided to confirm his hunch about her.

Her eyebrow shot up at this. All this time, she thought he had already figured out her identity. It seemed not…

“Well?”

Despite her surprise, she decided to humor him again, “Yes. I thought already you knew that, though.” The laughter that bubbled out of her lips was pleasant to his ears. She reached for the cards on the table and shuffled them.

Sid nodded, satisfied with her answer which confirmed that he was right all along. “Just had a hunch.”

She dealt the next round of cards. However, despite her efforts to make sure the game was not rigged by the information dealer, he managed to defeat her again. This time with a four-of-a-kind.

“What? How?”

“You sure you know how to play poker, lady?”

“Of course! I’m just having some bad luck tonight, I guess,” she mumbled.

Without a second wasted, Sid asked, “Which country are you from?”

“Seriously? That’s your question?”

“Yeah, it is.”

She crossed her arms and commented, “Huh? You’re wasting the opportunity to ask the good stuff.”

Sid waved her off and continued, “That’s for me to decide. Now, come on. Which country are you from?”

She smirked at his words. “Why, Wysteria of course.” Her amused smile teased him.

“What?”

“Well. I’ve got no reason to lie. Have I?” she told him as she pooled the cards together.

Sid fell silent and narrowed his eyes at her answer. He was an information dealer. With his job, he was sure he knew the nobility, especially those from his own country. As he thought about it, he deduced he had never encountered her in all those functions and parties he attended as Lloyd. He knew he would have remembered such a pretty face as hers, not to mention that sassy attitude.

He took a sip of his drink and stared at her, all focused as her feminine hands shuffled the cards for the second time that night. The slight mess in her long wavy hair made her all the more alluring. The dim lighting from the small table lamp caused her long lashes to cast a shadow over her flushed cheeks.

She was beautiful, all right.

And there she was, in complete unawareness of the admiration in Sid’s eyes.

She glanced at the clock on the far end of the tavern’s wall. “Hey, Sid, right?” It was the first time she said his name.

“This will be the last one. I have to leave soon,” she informed him as she dealt the cards.

For some reason, he did not like the idea of that. He did not want her to leave so soon. He had not figured out who she was yet. He wondered if he should lose this round on purpose since he was curious of the reaction she would have or what question she would ask him. However, he thought better of it. He felt that she would not appreciate it if he went easy on her, if he underestimated her. Aside from that, he could use the last question to his advantage.

In a moment of truth, she revealed her three-of-a-kind. However, her triumph was short-lived as Sid revealed his cards. He had a straight.

She grumbled about how she much have such terrible luck that she lost three times in a row. Sid thought hard of the final question he would ask. He could go for her name. Maybe her title. Or which family she belonged to. But, he didn’t.

Instead he asked, “When will you come back here?”

She was silent at that. For some unspoken reason, they both knew she would come back to that place. It was just a matter of when that would be. That was what Sid wanted to know.

 

She took a deep breath and let out a sigh. “I don’t know yet,” she answered him in all honesty. “I have to leave now.”

She stood up, her gaze still on him. With an air of finality, she took her glass, finished the last of her drink, and set it down on the table.

“What? No goodbye kiss?” Sid teased.

Maybe it had been the liquid courage. Maybe it was how everyone minded their own business when she and Sid started to play poker, oblivious to their exchanges. Maybe it was the way her heart raced at the fact that behind his questions, he wanted to know her and see her again. At that moment, she could not be sure.

It was a surprise for both the man and herself when she set her palms on the table and bent down to close the gap that separated them. She paused a hair’s breadth away from him to peer into his eyes and admire their indigo hue.

Her eyes fluttered close as her lips brushed his. Their close proximity allowed her to be enveloped by his scent and the slight taste of the alcohol he drank coaxed her to kiss him deeper.

Brandy. He had been drinking brandy.

 

Sid was caught off guard. It was a joke, a half-meant one at that. However, he did not expect her to dare kiss him. He had the urge to touch her and draw her closer to him, but before Sid knew it, she had pulled away.

 

The chime of the clock as midnight struck signalled the end of the day and the beginning of another. She looked at him one last time and went towards the exit in quick strides.

Once she got out of the tavern, she ran to the direction of the carriage and did not dare look back. Her feet ached from the dainty shoes she wore, but the adrenaline that coursed through her veins fueled her to move faster. She felt the cool wind against the flush on her cheeks and knew that the cause of it was not the alcohol she drank, but rather the encounter with the man she shared them with.

 

When Sid got out of the tavern, she had already disappeared through the night. The memory of her lingered fresh on his lips and his curiosity burned brighter than ever.

 

When she reached her carriage, she thanked the coachman for the wait and told him that she was ready to resume their journey home. As she sat inside, she struggled to catch her breath and felt the wild beat of her heart, both from the physical exertion and the events that transpired in the tavern.

She caught her reflection on the window and chuckled at her wind-blown hair, red cheeks, and swollen lips. She was one heck of a mess tonight, it seemed.

She slipped her shoes off to relieve the ache in her feet. “Well, at least I didn’t trip. Or worse, left a shoe behind like a Midnight Cinderella.”


	3. A Sense of Camaraderie

The weather had been bright and cheerful the next day, but she felt exhausted when she woke up. Yesterday's journey was long and tiring, and in spite of the alcohol in her system, she could not fall asleep. She tossed and turned as she recalled the strange midnight encounter she had hours ago. Nonetheless, she looked forward to the literary salon to meet the Princess of Wysteria.

Upon her arrival to the palace, the carriage door was opened and a Wysterian knight with an indifferent expression on his face held out a hand to assist her as she alighted.

“Thank you, Sir…?”

“Alyn,” he supplied.

The knight, who she learned was Wysteria’s captain, escorted her to a large elegant room where a number of noblewomen had already gathered and socialized. She scanned the room and admired the roses that adorned the ceiling until she her eyes landed on the host. At that moment, the Princess of Wysteria gazed through one of the giant windows that were decorated with red curtains.

She approached the Princess and with a polite curtsey, addressed her, “Greetings, Your Highness.” She then introduced herself.

 

When she turned to see the face of the person who greeted her, the Princess had known who she was in an instant. Before today’s literary salon, she was shown portraits and was briefed on information about the noblewomen who would be in attendance. Although for this lady in particular, the information was quite scarce.

The Princess was not naïve enough not to realize that there were still a number of nobles who doubted her ability and found her unsuited for the royal life as she was a commoner, whereas they have been nobles from the moment they took their very first breath. She wondered if the lady who stood in front of her was the same. She was quite intimidating, from the way she presented herself up to the intricate fabric of her dress, it was evident that she was a noblewoman through and through.

“I am glad you could make it,” the Princess said.

“I am honored to be here.” The mysterious woman smiled and asked in a casual tone, “So, which one is he, Your Highness?”

The Princess cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Which one is…?” she asked, unsure.

With a twinkle in her eye, the lady gestured beyond the window where five men could be seen. The Princess, flustered at the bold question of the lady, managed to reply, “Why don’t you take a guess, then?”

 

“Hmm…” She studied the group with narrowed eyes. It seemed that they were passing through the courtyard and were on their way to the palace.

“Huh? Doesn’t that man look like Sir Alyn? But with lighter hair...” She couldn’t help but point to a certain bureaucrat.

The Princess laughed a little. “You’re very observant.”

“So I’ve been told." She smiled, thoughtful. “Anyway, I don’t think it’s him. Perhaps, the purple-haired one? He’s quite tall and got the looks, doesn’t he?”

Although those men were dashing, to her, the best-looking man was still that man from the tavern last night.

“What ‒ ?! That’s Chamberlain Giles ‒ He’s my tutor!” the Princess blurted out, flustered at the insinuation.

“I figured. I met him once, some years back.” She let out a laugh when she noticed how red the Princess had turned.

“I was just teasing you, Princess,” she assured the other and regarded her with a smile. “You seem nervous and uncomfortable.”

 

The Princess laughed and loosened up a little. “I suddenly remember how the other girls had gotten flustered around him when I first visited the palace.”

There was a moment of comfortable silence.

“And well, this is the first time I am hosting a literary salon with the noblewomen of Wysteria and some can be...” the Princess confessed.

“I know the feeling, Your Highness,” the lady sympathized. “Although, I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. After all, you are the Princess of Wysteria now, and our queen in the future.”

She let the words hang between them before she continued. “As much as you want to impress them, they are the ones who should impress you, remember that, Princess,” she stated as a matter-of-factly. With a frown, she added, “And if I may say so, they are doing a poor job at it.”

With those words, all of the intimidation the Princess felt was replaced with admiration for the lady beside her. Without a doubt, a sense of camaraderie had formed between the two.

“You remind me of someone I know,” the Princess told her, a thoughtful expression on her face.

The lady quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. “I hope that is a compliment?”

The Princess nodded in affirmation. “It is.”

With a laugh, she pointed out, “It’s that one, isn’t he?”

“That’s Louis ‒ erm, Duke Howard.” With flushed cheeks, the Princess admitted, “Yes, that’s him.”

“I see. I am happy for you, Princess,” she told her with sincerity.

The smile that the Princess gave her was both gentle and elated.

“Thank you.”

 

Three days later, she had been reading a novel in her study when her attendant brought a letter addressed to her. She was surprised to find the Wysterian seal on it and realized that it was a correspondence from the Princess herself. She was invited by for some afternoon tea and cake in the palace on the Princess’s rare day-off. Delighted, she penned a response straightaway.

 

In another three days, she was escorted in the palace once again by Sir Alyn. They chatted for a bit as he led her to the courtyard.

“The Princess is waiting for you, my lady. I will escort you to the carriage when it is time to leave,” he informed her.

“Okay. Thank you, Sir Alyn.”

The knight nodded and went on his way.

The courtyard was filled with the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. She wandered around for a few moments until she found the Princess near the centerpiece of the courtyard, an elegant fountain made of stone.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” she greeted with a curtsey once she was close enough to the Princess.

“Oh, you have arrived! Thank you for accepting my invitation,” the Princess said, her eyes crinkled in delight.

“I’m happy you invited me. I haven’t been in Wysteria in such a long time and I’m ready for the best sweets our country has to offer,” she divulged with a mischievous smile.

The Princess laughed. “Then I hope you are hungry. Shall we then?”

The Princess led her towards an ornate table with matching chairs. As the two sat across each other, she noticed something.

“By any chance, is that your pet?” She pointed to the blue bird perched on the shoulder of the Princess.

“Oh, not really. This is Lucia. She is Duke Howard’s,” the Princess explained.

“I see.” The lady nodded as the bird chirped. “Speaking of which, not that I am complaining, but I thought you would have rather spent your day-off with Duke Howard, Princess,” she teased.

The Princess blushed. “He had some business with the duchy. He’ll drop by later since we’re watching the opera this evening.” She looked away, somewhat bashful. “And besides, I thought it would be a good time to make friends?”

“We are already friends, dear Princess.” There was a brief moment of silence and the both of them laughed.

The Princess murmured, “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Last time at the literary salon,” the Princess explained.

“You’re welcome. I’d say you did well on your own.”

As they talked, a man with rose-colored hair arrived with a cart. It was filled with various cake slices, teacups, and a teapot.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” he greeted in a cordial tone.

As she looked at him, she could not help but think that he seemed familiar.

The man gave her a glance. “This is Nico, my attendant,” the Princess introduced.

“Nice to meet you, my lady.” Nico's smile was friendly, almost childlike.

She inclined her head in greeting. “It is nice to meet you, Nico."

The attendant nodded and proceeded to serve their tea with precision of a knight to a sword.

After they said their thanks, Nico said, “Please call me if you need anything else.”

“That would be all for now, Nico,” the Princess instructed. With a bow, Nico left.

As they indulged themselves in sweets, they chatted about many things.

The Princess asked her of her travels and she shared her experiences in the many countries she had been to.

Meanwhile, she asked the Princess about her life prior to being the Princess Elect. The Princess told her about her days as a tutor and how she was chosen as the Princess.

“How mean of him,” she commented after the Princess told her the story of how she and Duke Howard met.

The Princess chuckled in response, nervous. “Well, things are definitely different now.”

The lady raised a brow. “How so?” She raised the teacup to her lips and took a sip of the elderflower tea that the Princess recommended.

A hint of red dusted across the Princess’s cheeks. “Louis and I ‒ We’re engaged.”

“Oh my! Congratulations, Princess!” she said, surprise written all over her face as she placed the teacup down.

“Thank you. It’s not official yet ‒ we still have to do the ceremony. Afterwards, we’re going to have a ball to celebrate the announcement. I’d love it if you could come.” The Princess had a hopeful expression on her face.

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

 

As they sipped the last of their tea, the Princess asked, “So, which one is your favorite?”

“Hmm. That’s a difficult question.” she answered, thoughtful. “I’m torn between the blueberry cheesecake and the red velvet cake…”

After she gave it some thought, “I’d say the blueberry cheesecake,” she decided with a nod.

“That one’s my favorite too!” the Princess told her, cheerful of the fact that they have something in common.

“You should visit our manor some time. I’ll serve you our family’s best recipes.”

“Then I shall bring you a whole box of blueberry cheesecake.”

As they laughed together and made plans, the little bird which had been busy pecking on some crumbs chirped and flew away, distracting them both.

They looked towards the direction that the creature went to and found none other than Duke Howard as he emerged from the path of flowers, Lucia now perched on his hand.

“I see your Prince has arrived,” she whispered to the Princess in a teasing tone. The other only blushed in response and went on to greet her beloved with an embrace.

Afterwards, the Princess introduced the two nobles to each other.

With a curtsey, she said, “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Duke Howard. I have heard a lot of great things about you from the Princess.”

“Likewise,” he returned. He looked at her for a moment narrowed eyes. “Someone is looking for you,” he informed her.

“Oh! Is it Sir Alyn?” she asked. “I think it is about time for me to leave.”

As if on cue, Alyn emerged from the flower path, “I am here to escort you to your carriage, my lady,” he announced.

“Alright. I will see you soon, Princess! And it is nice to meet you again, Your Grace.”

After saying their farewells, she went to walk beside the knight.

 

As the Princess watched the pair leave, she turned to Louis and asked, “Was Alyn really the one looking for her?”

“No,” the blond man replied, cryptic.

“What? Then who?”

“You’ll see.”

 

It had been a few minutes since the pair began to make their way to the carriage. She was in the middle of asking Alyn about Wysterian customs when a voice interrupted their conversation.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Alyn with a girl!” the voice teased.

The both of them turned and saw a familiar man as he sauntered towards them. He seemed to come from the direction of the palace gates. With a smirk on his face, he stopped in front of them and turned to the knight, “Did you finally get yourself a girlfriend?”

She gave Sir Alyn a glance. His cheeks were slightly red as he sent the man a glare, vexed. “Don’t mind him,” he told her.

With an eyebrow raised, she turned to the stranger and said, “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Sir Alyn with light hair.” Upon closer look, the resemblance was uncanny. Though their hair colors were different, the identical ruby eyes told her all.

“Beauty and brains,” light-haired Sir Alyn commented. “Although, I’d prefer it if it was Alyn you referred to as ‘Leo with dark hair’,” he continued and laughed at his own joke.

It was then that Alyn addressed Leo, “Stop it, Leo. Where have you been? Giles has been looking for you all day.”

“Calm down, brother. I just bought some information and was just about to report it to him,” Leo said and gave her a glance. “Until I saw you with a pretty lady, that is.”

Alyn sighed in mild exasperation. “Let’s go,” he said and she nodded in response.

“Don’t forget, it’s Leo and not ‘Alyn with light hair’, alright?” Leo reminded her with a wink.

She rolled her eyes at his antics. What a flirtatious bureaucrat.

As they went on their separate ways, she and Alyn to the carriage and Leo to the palace, she couldn’t help but ask, “So, you are twins?”

“Yes,” Alyn replied with a gruff voice and looked away. “Don’t take what Leo said seriously.”

“Okay,” she said and laughed. “It must be nice to have a sibling.”

“Sometimes,” Alyn admitted. “You’re an only child?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

They walked in comfortable silence. When they reached the carriage, the knight offered his hand to assist her into it.

“Thank you again, Sir Alyn,” she said with a smile.

“You’re welcome.”


	4. A Dance with Lloyd Grandier

It was a week later when she found herself in a carriage with her father as they made their way to the palace. A few days ago, they received an official invitation to the royal ball in celebration of the engagement of the Princess and the new Prince Consort.

As always, her thoughts wandered to the man from the tavern. Although she would never admit it out loud, she wanted to see him again. Since that night, she had been busy. She helped out in the archduchy and avoided possible marriage meetings. Truth to be told, she did not know what to say to him when they saw each other next. Despite that, she thought that maybe she could sneak away tonight to go to the tavern and meet him, but as she looked at her ball gown and dainty gloves, it was clear that it was out of the question.

With a sigh, she turned to look at the scenery outside the window when her father cleared his throat.

“Father? What is it?” She knew that he had something to say.

“As I have mentioned to you before, there is someone I would like for you to meet.”

She held her breath as her father's words and knew full well what it meant. “Yes, I remember,” she confirmed.

Her father nodded and adjusted his tie. “If it’s alright with you, I would like to introduce you to each other tonight.”

It was not like she could decline him. “I… I see. Very well, Father,” she agreed.

Her father smiled, pleased with his daughter’s answer. Finally.

 

The grand ballroom of Wysteria was a sight to behold. The ceiling was adorned with elegant chandeliers that gave the place a golden glow. The corners of the room were decorated with vases that held white flowers to celebrate the engagement of the Princess and the Prince Consort. Classical music played in the background as the nobles present chatted amongst themselves, mainly on how well-suited the future King and Queen of Wysteria were.

Upon the arrival of the father and daughter, curious eyes were followed them and hushed whispers erupted about how the archduke’s daughter had finally decided to grace the Wysterian nobility with her presence in a royal ball. Some were surprised that the archduke even had a daughter.

As they made their way to greet the hosts of the party, she held her head high, unaffected by the stares and murmurs.

She gave the Princess a smile when they reached her. “Congratulations on your engagement, Princess. I am truly happy for you.”

“Thank you, my lady. It means a lot to me,” the Princess replied, happy to see her friend. She then turned to the archduke addressed him, “I hope you are having a good evening, Your Grace.”

“Of course. Congratulations, Your Highness,” the archduke greeted, clearly in favor of the pairing of the future King and Queen of Wysteria. “Although, may I ask where the Prince Consort is?”

“Oh! He is conversing with a childhood friend of his somewhere around here. I’ll be sure extend your greetings to him, don’t worry,” the Princess explained with a smile.

“Now I am hoping this daughter of mine will also have her happy ever after soon,” the archduke said and laughed.

She let out a light cough. “Father…”

With a giggle, the Princess replied, enthusiastic of the topic, “I’m sure she will! In fact – ”

It was then that the music for the first waltz played. A few seconds later, the crowd near them parted to reveal the Prince Consort, Louis Howard, as he made his way to his fiancée.

No words were needed as the Prince Consort extended his hand to the Princess. She took it with happiness in her eyes as she gazed at him. All eyes were on the pair as they made their way to the middle of the ballroom, in sync with each other, as if they had done it a thousand times before.

 

The lady turned to her father and said, “Father, I will just go and have some refreshments.”

“Alright, then,” he replied with a nod.

As she went on her way, she heard her father’s cheerful voice as he greeted someone, “Grandier! My old friend! Now where is that…” She couldn’t hear the rest as she had already walked far enough but her father’s constant cheerful mood kept the smile on her face.

A wide variety of Wysterian cuisine was served on the refreshments table. After she saw that everyone was still fixated on the scene on dancefloor, she took a small plate and made a little pyramid of macarons on it.

As she took a bite, a voice spoke and startled her.

“I know the food here is good, but don’t eat too much.”

She turned to see who it was. Sir Alyn stood behind her donned in his usual knight attire, amusement written all over his face.

She narrowed her eyes at him in a playful gesture and retorted, “Says the guy who has pink macaron crumbs on his face.”

The knight’s cheeks reddened as he reached an armor-clad hand to wipe his cheek. “What? I don’t have – ”

Before he could finish his sentence, she stuffed a pink macaron on his parted lips and shut him up. “Right there.” She laughed.

At that moment, the music ended and applause echoed through the ballroom. She set her plate on the table and clapped her hands as well. Meanwhile, the knight grabbed the last macaron left. He noticed the look she gave him and said, “What? They’re good.”

“I know, but don’t eat too much,” she parroted back.

It was then that she heard someone call her name. It was the Princess.

“My lady! There you are! There is someone I would like for you to meet,” the Princess said as she reached them. “If you’ll excuse us, Alyn,” she added with a smile.

With a nod, Alyn went on his way as the two ladies went together.

Tonight would be a night of introductions, it seemed, as both her father and friend wanted her to meet people.

The Princess led her through the throng of people and stopped. “Si‒ah, Lloyd! There you are,” the Princess called out to get the man’s attention.

A tall man who wore an elegant white coat, and whose dark hair had unique blue streaks in it, turned around at the sound of the Princess’s voice.

“ _No way! It couldn’t be?!_ ” she thought as she stood there, shocked as they met again in the most unlikely of places.

“Great! Louis told me you’d be here tonight. Anyway…” and with that, the Princess introduced her to him. “My lady, this is, um, Lloyd Grandier. He’s… an old friend of Louis.”

Their eyes met and that was all it took for all the memories of that night to rush back to her. How he had held her wrist. How they drank and played poker together. How she kissed him.

She did her best to maintain her composure and managed to say, “I see. It is nice to meet you, _Lord Grandier._ ”

“If it’s really nice to meet me, why don’t we do it again over some tea, huh?” His eyes twinkled in amusement and lips pulled into a smirk.

“Did you mean a couple of _drinks_?”

His amusement only grew. “How did you know?”

“Of course.”

 

The Princess watched their exchange with wide eyes. She wanted to play matchmaker since she thought their personalities would fit well together. Although, as she glanced back and forth between them, it seemed she underestimated how compatible they were. With that, her work was done and she turned to go find her Prince. The two did not even notice her absence right away.

 

“Hey, where did the Princess go?” she asked once she realized that her friend was no longer beside them.

Sid looked around. “Right there.” He gestured to the Prince and Princess in the middle of the ballroom.

Sid remembered how he had pestered Louis for information, which irritated the latter to no end. He thought that Louis, a Duke and now Prince Consort, would likely know the members of Wysterian nobility that he did not. To no avail, that block of ice seemed to avoid him afterwards, but what was new?

“Hey,” Sid began.

“What?”

“Wanna dance?”

She was quick to reply, “No.”

His brows furrowed as, he gazed at her. “Why not?”

“I’m – I’m drinking.” In a happy coincidence, the server who happened to pass by carried a tray of red wine and she gladly took a glass. With a triumphant grin, she took a sip of her saving grace and sighed in relief afterwards.

“Not anymore.”

“Hey! That’s mine!” With an odd sense of déjà vu, Sid had taken her glass from her grasp again. She looked at him in confusion and their eyes met as he raised the glass to his lips.

“What? What are you – ?” she protested as Sid emptied her glass in seconds and put it back on the server’s tray before he disappeared amongst the sea of people.

He turned to her. “There, now may I have a pleasure of a dance, my lady?”

His gentlemanly request made her heart race. It seemed their exchange had attracted the attention of many nobles and it was then that she felt a tad bit self-conscious.

Truthfully, she didn’t want to decline him. So, she didn’t.

She curtseyed and placed her hand on his outstretched one. It was like that night at the tavern. He had held her gently on the wrist as he led her to a table and offered her a chair. Now, her hand was perched atop his as he led her to the dancefloor of the royal ballroom. Like a perfect gentleman.

When they reached the dancefloor, she set her hands on his broad shoulders while he closed their distance as he held her waist. Their close proximity set her cheeks aflame whereas he seemed nonchalant about it.

As they danced, he just...looked at her. Like he couldn’t believe she was there.

“Where have you been?” he finally asked.

“Why?”

He frowned. “‘Cause I waited and waited but you didn’t come.” She was nothing but flustered at the his sudden show of candor.

“So, where have you been?” he repeated.

“Hiding from you,” she joked and tried to lighten the situation.

Sid chuckled. “Guess you’re not very good at it then.”

“Guess not.”

They both laughed. A million questions ran through her mind as they moved together in time with the classical music.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Sid asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

“I have a lot of questions for you, _Lloyd_.” She placed an emphasis on the name that the Princess had used to introduced him.

His lips curled into a smirk. “Think you can beat me in poker, then?”

“Maybe.” With her response, she recalled just how bad she was at poker that night and frowned. “Maybe not. How about we just go for that tea party?”

Sid’s eyes widened fractionally in pleasant surprise. “Alright then. Where do you wanna go? You can visit me or I can visit you. Or we can go to town,” he suggested.

“How about the tavern?”


	5. [Epilogue] A Fairy Tale Ending

**━━━━━━━♔━━━━━━━**

**Epilogue**

**━━━━━━━♔━━━━━━━**

The two archdukes stood on the sidelines of the ballroom. They planned visits and chatted about the latest activities in their respective domains when they did a double-take as they saw the two figures dancing with each other.

Sid had whispered something in her ear which caused her to blush and laugh in the most carefree manner. Though they were in complete unawareness of the nobles’ eyes, they were a sight to behold as they moved gracefully in each other’s arms.

“H-How?”

“Well, it seems we have our work cut out for us, my friend,” Archduke Grandier said with a laugh.

“I’m not sure how it happened but it certainly seems so.” The other archduke nodded in a daze, “It certainly seems so.”

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Alyn stood in his post on duty as Captain of the Royal Wysterian Guard. However, there was a strange feeling in his chest as he watched the scene unfold before him. In the middle of the ballroom, the pair who were happily in each other's arms made him think of a page from a fairy tale book coming to life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 💙


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